Henry Kirke White (1785–1806) Henry Kirke White was born in Nottingham, the son of a butcher, a trade for which he was himself intended. After being briefly apprenticed to a stocking-weaver, he was articled to a lawyer. Meanwhile he studied hard, and his master offered to release him from his contract...
For the final fashion plate focus for February, these two ensembles are both from the 1817 issue of Ackermann’s Repository of Arts. Carriage Dress from February 1817— Fashion plate; hand-colored aquatint from Rudolph Ackermann’s “Repository of Arts”, Series 2, Vol. III, Plate 10, No. 14, February 1, 1817. Depicts woman...
A nutmeg grater, or nutmeg rasp, is a device used to grate a nutmeg seed. Okay, simple enough, but why were they designed so fancy? And what was the big deal about nutmeg anyway? A common spice today, nutmeg was once a luxury. The Myristica fragrans tree from which the seed is...
A “Georgian Garden” is defined by the UK National Trust as one which dates from 1714 to 1830. In previous blogs I have written about the men and women who designed and maintained these massive parks, and I have also given a historical overview of landscape styles during this period...
For the month of February, I have two Fashion Plates from magazines of the Regency Era. As always, the descriptions are from the magazine itself and from contemporary commentaries, if available. Half Dress from February 1809— Fashion plate; hand-colored aquatint from Rudolph Ackermann’s “Repository of Arts” Series 1, Volume 1,...
John Clare (1793–1864) John Clare is “the quintessential Romantic poet,” according to William Howard writing in the Dictionary of Literary Biography. With an admiration of nature and an understanding of the oral tradition, but with little formal education, Clare penned numerous poems and prose pieces, many of which were only published posthumously....
Conversation hearts, Necco hearts, candy hearts, Sweethearts — there are many names applied to these tiny heart-shaped chunks of candy stamped with short love-themed messages. Not everyone is a fan, Sweethearts ranked up there with Candy Corn and marshmallow Peeps for heated debates between the lovers and haters. Yet no...
Did I grab your attention with that title, thinking this was a blog about romance movies? Gotcha! While not about the movies themselves, this blog is related, so read on. . . If you visit my blog it is because you like romance stories, which means you are probably well...
The great Romantic poet John Keats was the subject of a previous biographical blog, which can be read if missed by clicking the link below. Keats’ literary brilliance was cut tragically short with his death of tuberculosis at the tender age of twenty-five. One portion of his life which I...
In 1828, British publisher Thomas Richardson provided the gentlemen of England a twenty-six page pamphlet full of Valentine’s Day samples to use in conducting affairs of the heart. As often seen with publications from the days of yore, the title is recorded from the whole front page and extraordinarily long—...
John Keats (1795-1821) John Keats was born in London on October 31, 1795, probably at the inn owned by his grandfather and where his father Thomas Keats worked in the stables as a hostler. His upbringing was humble, John one of four children with the most basic education available to...
With Valentine’s Day approaching,it seems fitting to share a collection of classic paintings of lovers in passionate embraces. “A man had given all other bliss and all his worldly worth for this,to waste his whole heart in one kiss upon her perfect lips.”~Lord Alfred Tennyson “A Kiss Under the Parasol” by...
Our modern impression of “romantic, romance, romanticism” immediately brings love and sentimentality to mind, particularly as it relates to other human beings. Indeed, that is one correct definition. However, when referring to the poetry written by the Romantic poets during the artistic movement known as Romanticism, which began in the...
FANS have been around for centuries, probably since the dawn of time if we include waving big leaves in front of one’s face. The first man-made fan is agreed to be the rigid type, like those in the collage below. Made of wood, thick fabrics, leather, papier-mache, or big feathers...
From about 1773, the upper floors of the Exeter Exchange (a popular shopping arcade) took on a new role: a menagerie of exotic animals. It was formed by Gilbert Pidcock, and upon his death in about 1810, the menagerie passed to Stephani Polito. On his death in 1814, one of...
